


just for the tax benefits...right?

by yacchin



Category: Ant-Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Fluff, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-06-16 11:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15436488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yacchin/pseuds/yacchin
Summary: “If we’re both still single in ten years, let’s just get married, dude. Tax benefits and stuff, y’know.”





	1. oh, honey

**Author's Note:**

> 100000% self indulgent samscott bullshit from my 2 weeks of samscott brainblast
> 
> big big thank you to slinkyspiders for helping me with the title ilu i would die for u

Scott knew that as long as he lived, and as long as he stuck around Sam, he would end up being the shoulder to cry on without ever making his own feelings known.  
  
The two of them lay side by side in the grass, and stared up at the stars in comfortable silence for a bit, the only sounds being the soft rustle of the breeze and Sam’s occasional quiet sniffles. Those sniffles broke Scott’s heart.  
  
“Hey, Tic-Tac?”  
  
The words were so soft, Scott almost didn’t hear them.  
  
“Yeah, Sammy?”  
  
“Dating sucks. Relationships are dumb. Girls kind of suck.”  
  
Scott let out a snort. “Yeah. I agree.” He turned his head, gazing at Sam’s profile.  
  
Sam rolled onto his side, and Scott froze when their eyes met. _He knows,_ he thought, _he knows, and he’s gonna call me out, and--_  
  
“If we’re both still single in ten years, let’s just get married, dude. Tax benefits and stuff, y’know.”  
  
Scott blinked, taking a moment to process those words. “Married....” A nervous giggle escaped him, and he nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do it.” There would be no way it would actually work out for him that way. Sam was cool and confident, and he dated pretty girls. Scott was...not really that. He thought he was alright in the looks department, if he may say so himself, and while he wasn’t painfully shy or anything, he knew he could be kind of awkward. So, yeah, Scott was likely to still be single in ten years. But Sam wasn’t.  
  
It would be fine. Sam would probably forget about this promise soon, anyway.  
  
________________________________  
  
“I’m really sorry… I don’t think this is gonna work out. It isn’t anything you did, really. I just-- I just suck. A lot. I’m sorry.”  
  
Scott climbed into his car, letting out a sigh and letting his forehead rest on the steering wheel.  
  
“Annddddd, another unsuccessful date for Scott Lang,” he muttered to himself. “If I have to tell one more person the whole ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ spiel I swear...” He let out a sigh, straightening up in his seat. Honestly, it never was the other person’s fault. They couldn’t help it if they weren’t Sam. No one could be Sam but Sam himself. Speaking of Sam, Scott really needed to talk to him about not setting up these dates anymore. It was getting to be a bit too much.  
  
With another frustrated sigh, Scott pulled out a case of Tic Tacs, pouring out a handful and cramming them unceremoniously into his mouth. He crunched his way through them as he started his car and made his way home, trying not to think about the fact that Sam was currently having what was likely to be another successful date night with his long term girlfriend.  
  
Oh, well. Another movie night alone with a pint of ice cream.  
  
________________________________________________________  
  
A few loud knocks at the door startled Scott awake, and in his rush to get out of bed, his legs tangled in the sheets, bringing him crashing to the ground. He groaned, freeing himself and getting to his feet as three more knocks sounded.  
  
“I’m comin’, I’m comin’,” he muttered as he hurried to the door, unlocking and opening it to find a wet faced Sam.  
  
“Heeeeeeeeey, Tic Tat--Tic Tac!” Sam grinned despite the tears that were still sliding down his cheeks. “Is this a bad time?” He swayed a little, losing his balance, and Scott realized he was drunk.  
  
“Of course not, dummy,” Scott mumbled, reaching out to steady his friend. “Let’s get you inside, I’ll grab you some water.”  
  
After a bit of a struggle, Scott managed to get Sam to his bed, tugging the other man’s shoes off and setting them aside before making the quick trip to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water and coming back.  
  
“Drink up, you’ll regret it if you don’t.” Scott handed Sam the glass and sat down at the edge of the bed, watching worriedly as his friend drank. “What happened to you, man?”  
  
Sam finished off the water and set the glass aside, sighing. “Rachel dumped me,” he whispered. “I really thought she was the one, Scott. I wanted to propose to her…” Scott felt his heart drop at those words. “She said she just didn’t _feel _it anymore.”__  
  
“Well, it’s her loss, honestly,” Scott said softly. “You showed her so much love, and you treated her really well, and if she couldn’t see that, she must have been blind.” He reached over to pat Sam’s shoulder, and as he was pulling back and getting to his feet, Sam caught his hand.  
  
“Stay here with me, won’t you, Tic-Tac?”  
  
Scott felt his heart skip a beat, and he nodded, sitting back down. “Yeah, sure thing, buddy. I won’t leave you.” He gave Sam’s hand a gentle squeeze.  
  
“You just gonna sit there all night, or are you gonna get in here?” Sam’s lower lip jutted out in a slight pout, and he tugged on Scott’s hand.  
  
_This is it,_ Scott thought as he climbed under the covers. _This is how I die. Definitely not the worst way to go, though. Probably the best, actually, considering th--_  
His thoughts were cut off by a strong arm wrapping around him and pulling him in until his back was pressed against Sam’s broad chest. He felt Sam’s warm face bury into his shoulder, and was pretty sure his soul left his body to go personally thank whatever god that might be up there.  
  
Sam let out a sigh, his fingers tracing a lazy shape on Scott’s chest before coming to rest right over his pounding heart.  
  
“Thanks, Tic-Tac… G’night,” came the breathy murmur from behind Scott.  
  
“Of course, Sammy. Good night.”


	2. life's a rocky road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi, welcome to chili's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sleep deprived ass may have missed spelling/grammar errors when i reread, apologies if so

“Bye, Daddy! I miss you!”  
  
“Bye, Peanut! Have fun at school!”  
  
“Talk to you later, Scott!”  
  
“Yeah, later, Maggie!”  
  
With a sigh, Scott hung up the video call and tossed his phone aside. He was always left with a strange feeling after talking to his ex-wife and her husband. They were all good friends, mostly thanks to his daughter Cassie, but it brought back some painful memories that he wasn’t exactly fond of.  
  
Scott had dated Maggie for a few years before they’d gotten married and had Cassie. He and Sam had started to drift apart, each in their own relationships. It all seemed right, and Scott and Maggie were at least close to being happy. And realizing that the seemingly perfect life he’d started with her wouldn’t work out was one of the hardest things in Scott’s life. He knew it was his fault for suppressing his feelings for Sam and trying to force something that wasn’t entirely real, and he knew that it was his fault that Cassie would have to live her life without her dad. But sweet, warm Maggie sat him down and told him it was okay, that even if they got divorced and found other people, they would still be friends, and she would support him in facing his feelings for Sam.  
  
The months that followed left Scott feeling lost as he grew more and more out of touch with everyone and everything around him.  
  
He managed to hold onto his job by a thread, his determination to keep paying child support for Cassie barely keeping him upright.  
  
Then, he discovered that the company he worked for was intentionally overcharging customers, and something in him snapped. He hacked into their system and transferred money back to the customers who had been wronged, and posted the bank records online. He really should have just stopped there, but in a rush of adrenaline, he broke into his boss’s car and drove it into his pool.  
  
As expected, he was caught and arrested.  
  
Maggie had been so disappointed in him. She’d cried and yelled at him, asking how he could do something like this to Cassie.  
  
Scott couldn’t answer her.  
  
He was released early from prison for good behavior, but it was hard for him to find work. His former cellmate, Luis, offered him a place to stay until he could get back on his feet, so Scott moved in with him and two other ex-cons who were working their way back into society. He’d been able to reconnect with Sam, too, after he’d gathered up the courage to text a “Hey, it’s been a while. Miss you.” and plan a night out.  
  
While Scott had still been behind bars, Maggie had gotten married to a respectable police officer named Paxton, who Scott had mixed feelings about. Paxton’s work sent the family to New York, and they made the move before Scott’s release. The only way he would get to see Cassie now was through a phone screen.  
  
It was tough, but he at least knew that Cassie was in good hands.  
  
A soft chime brought Scott back to the present-- his second phone alarm of the morning, telling him to get out of bed and get dressed for work. He went through the motions of his morning routine, his mind not all there with him; thinking back on it later, he would realize that he had accidentally used Luis’s toothbrush instead of his own.  
  
It was going to be a long day.  
  
_______________________________  
  
“Welcome to Baskin Robbins, how can I-- Oh, hey, Luis. What can I get you?”  
  
Luis squinted at the tubs of ice cream through the glass case, tapping his chin in thought. “Okay, well Kurt and Dave want their usual, two scoops strawberry for Kurt, and one scoop chocolate and one scoop vanilla for Dave, and for me… You know what? Should I change it up a little, bro? One scoop chocolate and one scoop… mango? Somethin’ outta my usual comfort zone, you know? Oh, also this is to go. ‘Cause Kurt and Dave didn’t wanna leave the office.”  
  
Scott chuckled. “Sure thing, buddy. Comin’ right up!” He grabbed three cups and started scooping ice cream into the first.  
  
“So, Scotty, how things goin’ with your, you know…?” Luis waggled his eyebrows.  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
  
“Aw, come on, bro! ‘Course you do!! I’m talkin’ ‘bout your _feelings_ , the ones for--”  
  
The bell on the door to the shop jingled, and Scott jumped at the opportunity to change the subject.  
  
“Welcome to Baskin Robbins!” he chirped, glancing up to greet the customer with a smile-- only to see that it was, in fact, the person who had been very close to being the subject of their conversation.  
  
“What up, Tic Tac?” Sam took off his sunglasses, flashing a grin. “‘Sup, Luis?”  
  
“Heeeey, wassup, man?? We were just--” Luis hesitated at Scott’s warning look,”--just tryin’ to settle a disagreement about what the superior ice cream flavor combination is. You see, Scotty here thinks that it’s--”  
  
“Coffee and mint, right?” Sam laughed. “He’s been trying to get me to try it for years, but I know it’s gotta taste like drinking coffee right after you brush your teeth.”  
  
Scott paused mid-scoop. “Hey, now, it’s really good!!”  
  
Sam shrugged. “Whatever you say, Tic-Tac. I’m just here for a good, pure cup of rocky road.”  
  
“Oh? Something good happen?” Scott finished scooping the ice cream for Luis, moving to the register to ring him up.  
  
“I mean, kinda.” Sam scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. “I decided it’s time for me to get my shit together and move on from Rachel. It’s time to find someone new.”  
  
“Good for you!” Scott smiled, turning to Luis. “$12.84, bro, let me just get Sammy’s ice cream.” While Luis dug through his pockets for change, Scott picked up another cup and filled it with two scoops of rocky road, sticking a small plastic spoon in it and handing it to Sam.  
  
“This one’s on me,” he said with a small smile. “I’m proud of you.”  
  
“Aw, thanks, Tic-Tac!” Sam took a bite, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Mmm. What time d’you get off work today? Come over if you’re free, I’m makin’ a ton of guac that I probably won’t be able to finish. Luis, you and your buddies too!”  
  
Scott felt his heart do a flip. “I’m off at five, I’ll be there!”  
  
Luis sighed. “We all workin’ late today, but you two have fun.”  
  
“Next time, man! See you later, Scott, I’ll get out of your hair and let you do your job now. ” Sam flashed a grin, waving and heading out the door.  
  
Scott packed Luis’s three cups of ice cream into a paper bag with spoons, lost in his thoughts until Luis’s voice broke him out.  
  
“Bro, how’d you know something good happened to him?” Luis asked, picking up the bag and sliding $13 across the counter. “Keep the change.”  
  
“What?” Scott blinked. “Oh, rocky road. It’s his celebration flavor. For special occasions only. And thanks, man.”  
  
Luis studied the expression on Scott’s face for a moment. “Man, you really got it bad for him, huh?”  
  
Scott’s cheeks reddened. “He’s been my best friend almost my whole life, doesn’t it make sense that I know his favorite ice cream flavors?”  
  
“You gotta _do_ somethin’ about this, bro! Your feelings are gonna eat you _alive_ and stuff.”  
  
“I don’t have to do anything,” Scott said firmly. “As long as Sam’s happy, I’m happy. Now get back to the office before the ice cream melts.”  
  
Shaking his head, Luis made his way to the door. “Sure, man, but when you can’t take it anymore and, like, snap and stuff? Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”  
  
Scott dismissed him with a wave, watching as he hurried out the door.  
  
Deep down, he knew that Luis was probably right. But if he let himself acknowledge that, he wouldn't be able to stay by Sam’s side anymore.  
  
With a sigh, Scott straightened up and stretched his arms, taking a deep breath to ready himself for the long few hours until the end of his shift.  
  
_______________________  
  
That night found Scott and Sam in their pajamas, curled up comfortably on Sam’s couch, huddled together on either side of a bag of chips and big bowl of guacamole while Return of the Jedi played on the tv.  
  
“Hey, so I’ve got this date tomorrow, with, um,” Sam swallowed, wiping his hand on a napkin. “With a guy, actually. And he’s got a friend looking for a date. What do you say, wanna come along and make it a double date?”  
  
Scott hesitated, grateful that he had chosen that exact moment to cram a chip with a huge chunk of guacamole on it into his mouth; it gave him a bit more time to think. Luis’s words from earlier crossed his mind-- it was true, these feelings were going to eat him alive. It would hurt to see Sam having a good time with someone else, but hey, this was as good an opportunity as any to move on himself. He swallowed, taking a sip of water.  
  
“Sure, man, why not?”  
  
“Alright, great; thanks, Tic-Tac!”   
  
Despite his attempt to stay positive, Scott felt his heart sink.  
  
Well, he’d feel shitty backing out now. He sighed inwardly, one thought on his mind:  
  
_Time to move on, I guess._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is just going to have one more chapter, unless I get carried away or something. But I've also got two more samscott fics in progress so hopefully those will go smoothly!


	3. i love arm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience! also sorry for the sad excuse for a summary, it's 3 am (but the samscotts are Thriving)

Scott took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He tucked in his shirt, glanced at the mirror, immediately untucked his shirt, then took it off entirely and dug through the pile on his bed for another. It had been a while since he’d actually cared how he looked on a date.  
  
He ended up picking a simple navy button up, mostly because he had to be out of the house in two minutes if he wanted to meet up with Sam in time to carpool.  
  
The drive to Sam’s apartment was mercifully quick, so despite having left slightly later than planned, Scott was at least in time to pick Sam up.  
  
“Hey, Sammy!”  
  
“‘Sup, Tic-Tac? You ready?” Sam grinned, nudging Scott’s arm with his elbow.  
  
Scott let out a nervous laugh. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”  
  
Half an hour later, the two of them arrived at fairgrounds. Just as they got to the ticket line, someone called out.  
  
“Sam? Hey, Sam!”  
  
Scott and Sam turned to see what Scott could only describe as the most perfectly sculpted human being he’d ever seen in his life, aside from Sam, of course. Beside him was another man, about the same height as the first, with shoulder length hair and dark circles under his eyes that were visible even at this distance.  
  
“Hey, James!” Sam waved as the two approached.  
  
The man with the long hair wrinkled his nose. “I told you, you can call me Bucky. This is Steve, by the way. He’s my best friend, we served in the army together. Steve, this is Sam and his friend.”  
  
Scott watched as the perfect specimen flashed a timid yet perfect smile, and extended his perfectly muscular arm to shake Sam’s hand.  
  
“It’s nice to meet you, Sam.”  
  
“Likewise. This is my best frie--”  
  
“Hi, I’m Scott!” Scott blurted a little too loudly, sticking out his hand. He felt his cheeks go pink, his gaze flicking down from Steve’s face to his arms and back up.  
  
Steve chuckled. “Hi, Scott.” They got to the front of the line then, and after a brief argument over who would buy tickets for who (Sam and Steve emerged victorious, with Scott and Bucky thanking them before quietly vowing to get revenge), they entered the fair.  
  
“What do you guys wanna do first?” Scott asked excitedly, looking around at all of the attractions. 

Steve pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, opening it up to reveal a carefully marked map of the fairgrounds. “I planned out the most efficient route before we came,” he said, scratching his head sheepishly. “We don’t have to follow it or anything, I just-- It’s been a while since I’ve been to a fair.”  
  
“No, that’s great!” Scott smiled, leaning closer to look at the map. “Let’s follow this! That’ll make this a lot easier on us, thanks!”  
  
With a sigh of relief, Steve smiled. “Alright, then it looks like our first stop will be...the bumper cars.”  
  
Scott cracked his knuckles, smirking. “Oh, it is _so_ on.”  
  
____________________________________________  
  
After several minutes of Scott and Sam relentlessly bumping into each other’s cars while Steve and Bucky kept a careful distance, they made their way to the next ride on Steve’s map-- the scrambler.  
  
“Oh, man, it’s been a while since I’ve actually gotten on one of these!!” Scott looked around excitedly as the ride attendant walked to each unit and checked that everyone was buckled in. 

“I don’t think I’ve ridden one since I was a kid,” Steve said with a smile. “This ought to be fun. You ready?”

Scott looked Steve dead in the eye. “I was born ready,” he deadpanned, just as the ride started; it caught him off guard and he slid right into Steve, who let out a soft “Oh!” and a chuckle, lifting his arm so Scott fit under it. 

God _damn_ , Steve’s arms were nice.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Steve said, raising his voice slightly so Scott could hear him over the noise of the ride.  
  
“Wow, thanks!” Scott couldn’t tell if he was supposed to laugh, but he sure did feel safe under that bicep.

Thankfully for Scott, the ride wasn’t long, and he was soon distracted from his thoughts by the next stop on their list. The group went from attraction to attraction, and as they went further into the fairgrounds, it got more and more crowded. They had almost made it to the next attraction, when Scott heard a child crying. He turned to see a small girl, maybe five or six years old, standing by a lamppost and looking terrified.

“Steve? Steve, hold on a sec, I think that kid’s lost.” Scott made his way towards the child, Steve close behind him. He knelt down in front of her, smiling warmly.

“Hi, sweetheart, are you lost?” 

The child nodded, sniffling. “I wanted cotton candy but when I was gonna ask Mommy and Daddy, they were gone,” she mumbled, hiccuping. 

Scott gently patted her head. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll help you find them! I’m Scott, and this is Steve! What’s your name?”

“C-Cassandra,” the child replied hesitantly, looking up at Scott for the first time.  
  
“What!? No way, that’s my kid’s name too!!” Scott smiled.  
  
The child blinked in surprise, smiling hesitantly. “Really?”  
  
Scott nodded. “Yep! And she’s a really great kid! Which means you must be too, if you have the same name!” He straightened up, standing and looking around, and smiled apologetically at Steve. “Sorry, it looks like we lost Sam and Bucky.”  
  
Steve shook his head, looking at Scott with admiration. “No need to apologize, it’s important that we find her parents.”  
  
“Thank you, Steve.” Scott looked around again, trying to see if he could spot anyone that looked like they were looking for someone. “Cassandra, sweetie, what do your Mommy and Daddy look like? Do you remember what they’re wearing?”  
  
“Um… Mommy’s really pretty, and she’s wearing her favorite shirt!! And Daddy is tall!” Cassandra stood on the tips of her toes, trying to get a good look around.  
  
“Here, I know what’ll help!” Scott smiled and lifted her onto his shoulders. “Up you go! Can you see them anywhere?”  
  
Cassandra let out a soft giggle at the excitement of being up so high, holding onto Scott’s head and looking around. “I don’t see them… Wait! There they are!” She waved vigorously, throwing Scott a little bit off balance.  
  
Warm hands took hold of his arms and steadied him.  
  
“Whoa, there,” Steve chuckled, his hands lingering even after Scott had regained his balance. Scott gave him a grateful smile, then turned to see a couple hurrying towards them.  
  
“Alright, sweetie, down you go, now!” He lifted Cassandra and lowered her to the ground.  
  
“Thank you, Scott and Steve!” she chirped, waving and running to her parents, who called out their thanks as well before disappearing with her into the crowd.  
  
“That was kind of you,” Steve said softly, patting Scott’s shoulder. “She must have been terrified.”  
  
Scott shrugged, smiling bashfully. “I just did what was right. If my Cassie got lost, I wouldn’t want her to be alone and afraid.”  
  
“You have a kid, huh?” Steve’s question wasn’t accusing, as those same words often were from other people Scott had gone on dates with. Instead, it was merely curious.  
  
“Yeah, she’s turning nine real soon! I don’t really get to see her though, it’s...complicated.” Scott shrugged, hoping Steve wouldn’t pry. He didn’t want to ruin a perfectly good date with his tragic backstory.  
  
Thankfully, Steve didn’t ask any other questions. He merely nodded and gave a sympathetic, “It must be hard,” and pulled out his fairgrounds map. “We have to get through this crowd to get back on track, are you up for that challenge?” He smiled, looking over at Scott.  
  
“Oh, of course! I wouldn’t back down from this!” Scott said with a laugh.  
  
Steve reached down and timidly took Scott’s hand. “So we don’t get separated,” he said softly, a light blush dusting his cheeks.  
  
Scott blinked in surprise, nodding. “Y-Yeah, good idea.” The two made their way through the fairgrounds, managing to get to every attraction they’d wanted to go to before the fireworks show started.  
  
It was during the show, when he was sitting on a bench, tucked under Steve’s arm, that a thought crossed Scott’s mind.  
  
He’d had a really good date, and it wasn’t with Sam, but he wasn’t exactly disappointed.  
  
He felt safe, and it wasn’t with Sam, but…  
  
Did it have to be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
> 
>  
> 
> it was super wack writing a pair I don't really ship that much, but sometimes you gotta do stuff for the greater good (the plot)  
> don't worry, kids, this is still a samscott fic B)


	4. fellas is it gay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> see chapter title

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO BOY sorry for the delay in updating, school kicked my entire ass so hard this quarter,,, ANYWAY if y'all still around thank you so much for your support! I wrote this little by little without ever really having the time to sit and focus and write a Whole Scene at a time, so I'm really sorry it's so short and if the flow of it sucks oof,, anyway hope y'all enjoy B)

Dating Steve was nice. He always made Scott feel important, and he was really sweet to Cassie when he was around for video chats. Scott always had such fun on dates with him, and he was so, so comfortable to cuddle with. A nice bonus.  
  
One of their most memorable dates was at an art museum. Scott had suggested going, not because he was particularly interested in art, but because he knew how much Steve would love to go. Turned out he was right, because when they were standing in front of Gianbattista’s Allegory of the Planets and Continents, Steve turned to him, their eyes met, and there was a soft “May I..?” and a nod, and then they shared their first kiss.  
  
Steve was always so considerate, always the gentleman, and Scott was pretty sure no one had ever treated him so well in his life.  
  
That was why the breakup was so hard on him.  
  
It was actually Steve who brought it up one day, as their second anniversary approached, but it wasn’t at all for the reasons Scott thought it would be for.  
  
In fact, it hurt far worse than he ever could have imagined.  
  
“Scott, can I ask you something?” Steve asked softly, as they sat side by side on Scott’s couch, Scott tucked under Steve’s arm.  
  
“Of course, you can ask me anything,” Scott replied, a bit concerned by Steve’s tone. “Is everything okay?”  
  
Steve took a deep breath and let it out. “This...might come off as a strange question. But, Scott… you’re in love with Sam, aren’t you?”  
  
Scott froze, then sat up slowly. He’d managed to convince himself that those feelings were gone, but if even Steve noticed, apparently he’d thought wrong.  
  
“What-- How-- What makes you think that?” 

“It’s...pretty clear to me. In the way you look at him. “ Steve smiled sadly. “In the way you’ve always looked at him.”

“Steve, you know I love _you_ ,” Scott began, hearing the panic in his own voice, but Steve cut him off, gently taking his hand. To Scott, it felt more like Steve was taking hold of his heart, in preparation to rip it out of his chest.

“I don’t doubt that, Scott, and I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to be chosen by you. But you’ve been in love with Sam for a long time, haven’t you?” 

That was the first tug at his heart.

Steve’s gentle words began to fade into a whisper. “And you don’t think he would reciprocate your feelings, so you buried it all. Right?”

Another tug.

Scott sat there, frozen in place. How had Steve been able to see right through him, when he had tried so hard to forget it? He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again, unable to find the words.  
  
“I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for you to push yourself to move on,” Steve said softly. “But I don’t think it’s good for you to keep doing this to yourself.”

Tug.

“I love you, Scott, and I want you to do what’s best for yourself.”

_Tug._

“I think it’s best if we break up.”

And that was the final tug-- if Scott thought he knew before what it felt like to have his heart torn out of his chest, he was wrong. He’d probably never been more wrong. This was it. This was what it felt like. His vision blurred, and soon after, he felt the moisture on his hands.

Tears.

Not for himself.

For Steve.

Tears for sweet, warm Steve who had fallen for Scott and cherished him with all of his heart.

Tears for kind, gentle Steve who had to suffer because of Scott.

Tears because he could only imagine the pain he had put Steve through, because he had messed up something that could have been perfect, all because he couldn’t get over Sam, who would probably never love him back.

“Scott, honey…” Steve pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, I just think that it would be best for both of us this way “

Scott shook his head, burying his face in Steve’s chest as a sob wracked his frame. “No,” he mumbled, voice muffled. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Steve, you don’t deserve this crap…”

Steve pressed a soft kiss to the top of Scott’s head, a gesture that usually made Scott’s heart flutter; this time, it gave it a painful squeeze. 

“It’s okay,” he murmured into Scott’s hair.

_No it isn’t._

“I’ll still be here for you.”

_No, please. Save yourself the pain._

“I’ll support you, no matter what happens.”

Scott gathered up all of his energy and sat up, taking a deep breath and letting it out. He had to tell Steve how sorry he was, and how he wished he could somehow make up for all the pain he caused.

“How can you still be so kind to me…?”

Oh. Well _that_ wasn’t what he meant to say.

Steve looked at him with kind, warm eyes. “Because you’re a good person, Scott; you’ve done nothing wrong.”

Scott shook his head, his hands curling into fists on his lap. “I hurt you, Steve. I’m hurting you now. You don’t deserve this, not one bit. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” If only he could have been what Steve did deserve… He felt his mind drift, trying to pull together the pieces and tell him how he could fix this-- but there wasn’t any way. No matter what Steve had said, Scott was hurting him.

How could he be so awful to someone who had treated him like he was the whole world?

Later on, Scott could vaguely remember Steve carrying him to his bed, but he couldn’t remember what came between his pathetic apology and that. He was sure that if he could remember that, he would feel more at east, but at this point, he had no idea if he’d said anything ridiculous or terrible or done any irreparable damage.

Steve really stuck with him through it all, too. The two of them distanced themselves for a bit after their break up, but it wasn’t long before Steve was dropping by every so often to make sure Scott was eating and sleeping enough.

Sam, after hearing about the breakup, also started coming over more often. Sometimes, Steve and Sam would both come over, and Scott could hardly breathe. Most of the time, though, it was just Sam; it felt a lot like how things did before they’d ever met Steve and Bucky, before Scott and Steve got together. Back when Scott’s pining didn’t hurt anyone

Then, about a year and a half later, the time came.

The two of them sat, relaxing, on Scott’s couch. The only sounds were those from the TV and the occasional crinkle of a hand reaching into a bag of chips, followed by a crunch.

“Hey, Tic-Tac?”

The words were so soft, Scott almost didn’t hear them.

“Yeah, Sammy?”

“Remember that promise we made that one night..?”

“Not very descriptive, Sam.”

“I guess what I’m trying to say,” Sam began, “is that...it’s been ten years since then.”

Scott looked up in surprise, gazing at Sam’s profile. He hadn’t expected him to remember that promise. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “It sure has.”

“I wasn’t all that serious about it when we made the promise…”

Oh. Of course not.

“But, um. Over these past ten years, specifically when you started dating Steve, I mean... I realized that I should have been.”

“...Wait, what?”

Sam gulped, turning to meet Scott’s gaze. “I mean that seeing you happy with someone else made me realize that I wanted to be the one making you smile.

Scott stared at him in disbelief. After all of these years of pining...Sam felt the same way? “I’m dreaming, right?”

“No,” Sam said quietly. “Unless you’d prefer for this to be a dream, in which case, by all means, please believe that it is--”

“Whoa, whoa, nervous rambling’s my thing, Sammy!” Scott laughed, his heart feeling lighter than it had in a very long time. “Man, I don’t know what to say! I love you, Sammy. I really, really love you, and I have for as long as I can remember. I just-- I never thought you’d feel the--”

“Marry me.”

“I-- What?”

“You heard me. Marry me, Scott Lang.”

Wow, Scott’s heart sure did do some flips! He felt his face heat up, vision blurring a little as tears filled his eyes as he nods, beaming. 

“Of course...and not just for the tax benefits, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!! I'm probably not gonna write the wedding because I've only been to two weddings ever and thinking about it is exhausting, but also I might end up writing it anyway because I always end up doing things I say I won't?? oof
> 
> I'm sorry if this seemed rushed, I know it would have been better for The Impact to build up Steve and Scott a little more, but I just: no brain power,,,  
> ANYWAY thank you all so much for the support!!!
> 
> see you guys around!

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! I really want to continue this, but I don't want to make any promises 'cause school and work are always kicking my ass,, I've got the whole thing planned out, though, so it's just a matter of Will I Have The Time


End file.
